From Trend to Threat: Why Printers Undermine Cyber and Cost Control on Cruises

From a guest's perspective, these developments are fantastic. There are great options for everyone, and there's hardly any reason left not to book a cruise. For cruise lines, however, these trends are necessary and full of opportunity, but they also present significant operational challenges:

1. More diverse itineraries increase operational complexity: more ports, smaller ports, more local regulations, greater pressure to ensure sustainability, and more cyber risks associated with port infrastructure.
2. Shorter itineraries increase the workload for hotel operations: more embarkations and disembarkations per month and per year, rapid guest turnover, more administrative work, and greater demands on staff flexibility.
3. More exotic destinations are increasing logistical pressures: challenges related to accessibility, supply chain constraints, and higher expectations for delivering a seamless guest experience.

Without automation and strong support processes, scaling service operations becomes nearly impossible. And as cyber risks increase, so does the need for robust cybersecurity. It’s no surprise that cruise lines are investing heavily in IT systems, IT personnel, and cybersecurity solutions.

Yet all this automation means that a cruise ship has become a floating ecosystem of interconnected technologies. Highly advanced on board, yet still reliant on external infrastructure such as satellites, cloud applications, and port systems. Add to that the many on-board nautical and other OT systems, and you have one of the most complex technical environments imaginable.

For IT managers, it’s a paradise full of challenges and opportunities—but at the same time, a nightmare to secure. And that’s before we even consider the thousands of guests who check in every week with potentially infected devices like phones, tablets, and laptops.

This diversity creates a very large attack surface for hackers. It’s a very attractive playground with endless ways to gain access. The threat is real, and the industry is well aware of it.

The cruise industry takes cybersecurity seriously. With a wide range of risks, varying legal frameworks across countries, and the enormous operational impact of downtime at sea, security is more crucial than ever.

Based on multiple assessments we’ve conducted on cruise ships, we’ve observed a steady growth in onboard IT teams. Monitoring, control, technical management, and predictability are becoming central pillars of IT operations. Naturally, teams tend to prioritize what appears most critical first: workplace automation, applications, and nautical systems.

However, we consistently observe that IT peripheral devices are poorly managed and, in some cases, completely unsecured, even in public areas.
A prime example is printing equipment:

• Outdated firmware
• Unencrypted data
• Unsecured connections to third-party applications
• Devices connected to networks accessible through the printer itself

Unthinkable in 2026, yet still a reality. Cybersecurity is only as strong as its weakest link, so how do you ensure that everything is properly secured?

Beyond security, printing has traditionally been a hidden cost driver. First, because few people question whether printing is necessary at all, and second, because printing is rarely managed in a structured way. Hardware decisions often fall under the purview of IT, while supplies and support typically fall under hotel operations. As a result:

• There is no unified strategy
• Decisions are made on an ad hoc basis by many stakeholders
• Support processes are unclear
• And costs become invisible yet significant

This raises important questions. How do you maintain cost transparency? How do you gain frequent, reliable insight into print data? How do you operate an optimized, efficiently managed print fleet?

Returning to the earlier trends: more ports, shorter itineraries, and more exotic destinations—what challenges do these pose for printing?

• Engineering support was already difficult and will become even more challenging as itineraries shift toward more local, less accessible ports.
• Print volumes are increasing due to higher guest turnover.
• Increased print volume puts more pressure on the devices and on hotel staff to keep them running.
• Printer downtime has a much greater operational impact and can even hurt guest satisfaction. If guests aren’t informed about excursions, menus, or onboard events, will ratings suffer?

Using augmented reality support tools combined with secure, easy-to-manage printing technology is becoming the standard for fleet-wide print management. Design an ecosystem that is secure by design:

• Fewer devices, higher uptime
• Fewer interventions by onboard engineers
• Rapid, sustainable improvements in print operations and maintenance